Micah 6:10-15 - Compare All Versions

Share

Am I still to forget your ill-gotten treasures, you wicked house, and the short ephah, which is accursed? Shall I acquit someone with dishonest scales, with a bag of false weights? Your rich people are violent; your inhabitants are liars and their tongues speak deceitfully. Therefore, I have begun to destroy you, to ruin you because of your sins. You will eat but not be satisfied; your stomach will still be empty. You will store up but save nothing, because what you save I will give to the sword. You will plant but not harvest; you will press olives but not use the oil, you will crush grapes but not drink the wine.

Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins. You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword. You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.

What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating? What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures? How can I tolerate your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights? The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth. “Therefore, I will wound you! I will bring you to ruin for all your sins. You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you. You will plant crops but not harvest them. You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves. You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine.

Are there still  the treasures of wickedness  and the accursed short measure  in the house of the wicked? Can I excuse wicked scales or bags of deceptive weights?  For the wealthy of the city are full of violence,  and its residents speak lies;  the tongues in their mouths are deceitful.  “As a result, I have begun to strike you severely,  , bringing desolation because of your sins.  You will eat but not be satisfied,  for there will be hunger within you. What you acquire, you cannot save,  and what you do save, I will give to the sword.  You will sow but not reap;  you will press olives but not anoint yourself with oil; and you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.

Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword. Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.

Are there yet the treasures of wickedness In the house of the wicked, And the short measure that is an abomination? Shall I count pure those with the wicked scales, And with the bag of deceitful weights? For her rich men are full of violence, Her inhabitants have spoken lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. “Therefore I will also make you sick by striking you, By making you desolate because of your sins. You shall eat, but not be satisfied; Hunger shall be in your midst. You may carry some away, but shall not save them; And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword. “You shall sow, but not reap; You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.

“Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth you’ve piled up by cheating and fraud? Do you think I’ll tolerate shady deals and shifty scheming? I’m tired of the violent rich bullying their way with bluffs and lies. I’m fed up. Beginning now, you’re finished. You’ll pay for your sins down to your last cent. No matter how much you get, it will never be enough— hollow stomachs, empty hearts. No matter how hard you work, you’ll have nothing to show for it— bankrupt lives, wasted souls. You’ll plant grass but never get a lawn. You’ll make jelly but never spread it on your bread. You’ll press apples but never drink the cider. You have lived by the standards of your king, Omri, the decadent lifestyle of the family of Ahab. Because you’ve slavishly followed their fashions, I’m forcing you into bankruptcy. Your way of life will be laughed at, a tasteless joke. Your lives will be derided as futile and fake.”

“Is there still a person in the wicked house, Along with treasures of wickedness, And a short measure that is cursed? “Can I justify dishonest balances, And a bag of fraudulent weights? “For the rich people of the city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. “So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Making you desolate because of your sins. “You will eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your filth will be in your midst. You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping, But you will not save it all, And what you do save I will turn over to the sword. “You will sow but you will not harvest. You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil; And tread out sweet wine, but you will not drink any wine.

“Are there not still treasures gained by wickedness In the house of the wicked, And a short (inaccurate) measure [for grain] that is cursed? [Deut 25:14-16] “Can I [be guiltless and] justify deceptive scales And a bag of dishonest weights? [1 Thess 4:6] “For the rich men of the city are full of violence [of every kind]; Her inhabitants speak lies And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. “So also I will make you sick, striking you down, Desolating and devastating you, because of your sins. “You shall eat, but you will not be satisfied, And your emptiness shall be among you; You will [try to] remove [your goods and those you love] for safekeeping But you will fail to save anything, And what you do save I shall give to the sword. “You shall sow but you shall not reap; You shall tread olives, but shall not anoint yourself with oil, And [you will extract juice from] the grapes, but you shall not drink the wine.

“I will not overlook, O sinful house, the dishonest gain you have hoarded away, or the smaller-than-standard measure I hate so much. I do not condone the use of rigged scales, or a bag of deceptive weights. The city’s rich men think nothing of resorting to violence; her inhabitants lie, their tongues speak deceptive words. I will strike you brutally and destroy you because of your sin. You will eat, but not be satisfied. Even if you have the strength to overtake some prey, you will not be able to carry it away; if you do happen to carry away something, I will deliver it over to the sword. You will plant crops, but will not harvest them; you will squeeze oil from the olives, but you will have no oil to rub on your bodies; you will squeeze juice from the grapes, but you will have no wine to drink.